Exploiting Exploitation

August 7, 2015

Trailer Review: “Goodnight Mommy” (2015)

By Jerome Reuter

It’s true, horror is not what it was. Some might even say, it never was what it was. On the domestic side of things, America’s entries into the canon have been on the decline in recent years. Psychology, suspense, and shock have been replaced with poorly done CGI, shaky camera movements, cheap ‘jump’ scares, and found footage. Imports from other countries however, seem to keep improving as time goes on. Films from Europe and elsewhere, are constantly pushing the boundaries. They aren’t just pushing the envelope anymore, they’re tearing it to shreds.

Which brings me to this film, Goodnight Mommy, which is being released later this year. A product of Austria’s Veronika Franz, it seems we’re all in for something that won’t disappoint.

A while back, i reviewed The Babadook. I praised it for keeping the terror confined in an enclosed space, as well as having the events take place in a domestic setting. At first glance, it seems Goodnight Mommy will do this, as well as take it to a new extreme. Rather than a supernatural entity, the terror manifests within the family itself. As a family’s sanity is unravelled, all the while contained within an isolated locale.

The trailer even captures a certain atmosphere, and the fear of the unknown. Is it really their mother? what has driven these children to madness and violence? When it gets released, all of these questions will be answered. I wouldn’t be surprised however, if it makes us ask a lot more.